Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-17


fed on that life-gving vegetable, Mr.,
Speaker, should now be strong and
lnsty man instead of the miserable
shriyellcd MP little being that you see
before you.' This actually appeared
in one OF the leading London papers.
II broke up the excursions. The states
man grew purple in the face in protest
ing against being made TO talk like
lunatic, the House appointed commit
tee Of investigation, but the investiga-
tors themselves enjoyed the joke, and
tho matter ended in u general laugh at a
wag's impudence and a statesmans
wrath.
The London Times once had New
York correspondent who habitually
imposed upon that paper with malicious
fabrications against this country. Hen
nv Stevenson, an American then living
in London, exposed the mischievous
scribblcr, and Mr. Delane promptly dis
charged him, and, on the recommends
fion Of the American, appointed young
lawyer, q son of former Governor OF
Massachusetts,, as the New York CORE
spondent. The young lawyer was
thunderstruck to receive so unexpected
an appointment. II was j. G. Bancroft
Davis. He filed the post for some
Years. He has since served as Assistant
Secretary of State, and at times as
Acting Secretary.
A DRAMATIC CENTENNIAL.
One hundred years ago last night
April is, l7S7 the audience at the
John-Street Theatre, New York, wit
messed the first performance ever gwen
of an American play by company OF
professional actors. What the dra-
matte historian Dunlap calls "the
pleasant and laugh provoking tragedy
| Of The Mercenary Match, written by
one Barndy Bidwell," had been played
few years previous by the students Of
Yale College, under the auspices OF
the Rev. Dr. Ezra Stiles, presi.
dent of the college, and there had
| doubtless been other amateur perform
ances of original plays but the
comedy of "1he Contrast was the first
dramatic work written by m American
and performed in theatre. Its pro-
| duction, therefore, marks the begin
ming Of the American drama as con
nected with the American stage. Royal
TYLER. the author of "The Contrast,
was a Young man of twenty-eight, o
graduate of Harvard, and a native OF
| Boston, where theatrical performances
were looked upon as devices OF the
devil and prohibited by law. Mr.. Ty-
Ter was lawyer by profession,
and had served during Shay's re
kellion in Massachusetts, on the stall
of General Lincoln. When he ar
rived in New York, bringing with him
the unfinished play, which was com
pleted and produced few weeks after
ward, he had left his native New Eng
land for the first time, and had never
seen the inside of regular theatre.
| The work was undertaken and finished
in three weeks. But American plays
we're not then as plentiful as managers
find them n century later, and Messrs.
Hallam and Henry, Of the John Street
Theatre, gave his manuscript their IN
mediate attention, and probably aston
ished the author by accepting 1t.
THE OLD THEATRE.
The theatre in which the play was
Given was built for theatrical purposes
| in 1867. 1t was an ugly structure
mostly of wood and painted red, and 4
stood on the north side of John street
ON the site of the building now mum
bered 10 and occupied as a seed store
The main structure was about sixty fee
from the street, rough wooden pas
saoeway extending from the Sidewalk
TO the doors. During the Revolution
it was used by the British officers fo
dramatic purposes, and Major Andre
was one of the performers there. -
The theatre was doubtless very htll'
like those of the present day, but tina
some of the customs have survived VIII
appear from the following common
from the New York D0iiy Adrertisc
of Arril 4. 1887 1.-The musicians, III
, stead of performing between the pla,
and the farce. are suffered TO leave tn
theatre to pay visit to the tipping
houses. and the ladies in the mean tim
must amuse themselves by looking n
the candles and the empty benches.
The painful but natural lnierenc
from the above is that the men Ill tn
audience followed the example OF tn
musicians. or the ladies might hav
looked at them. The orchestra OF til
present day is not open to this crltlcIsr
and the candles have disappeared, br
it is fashionable whether the male POI
tion Of the audience has kept up wit
the march of progress.
THE PLAY.
There was but little previous az
7 nonncemont of the new comedy.
/ was in four acts, and the scene was Ian
in New York. The title was given
, because its lines displayed the contra
, between American honesty and SIN
p piicitv and the affectation of dissolut
2 foreign "sweils." The really int
/ resting character in the play was JON
than. Yankee This was new cre'
p ton. tie prototype of the many CHI
, racters which have been portraye
! bv Yankee Hill, Dan. Marble, J'
$ seph jefferson, Denman Thompson
e and others. He was the shrewd y
I supplemented countryman, and Il
r rortraiture made a great hit. The pa
= was taken by Mr. Wignell, who had
5 high reputation as comic actG
Among the Others in the cast were NJ
Henry, Mr.. Hallam, Mr.. Morris, NJ
Harper. Mrs. Morris, Mrs. Kenna, al
S Miss luke. Wignell was very succe:
c full. though his dialect was not qui
a right which was, perhaps, natural
d an Enelishman. He was long
e yorite. Two years later, when Washin
ton attended the John-Street IheatT
3 ON the occasion of Wignell's benet
d the audience was pleased to obser
It that the favorite actor was able to
d cite the hearty laughter of the Pre-
;, dent. Mrs. Morris was the come'
II lady of the company. She was oth'
3 wise noted for her eccentricities, one
6 which took the form of an exaggerat
= dislike to being seen iii daylight, SO u
e She had gate made in a neighbo
h garden wall that she might pass frc
=. Milo, lopa 20 thp ~